1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for managing a payment and a payment managing system. More specifically, the present invention mainly relates to a method for managing a payment for an apartment or a parking lot, for instance, using a network, and a payment managing system using a network.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, there are conventionally four methods for making a payment for an apartment, a parking lot or other things (hereinafter simply referred to as an item), for instance, which require a payment (single, regular, periodic, etc.) as follows:
(1) a lessee (or buyer, etc.) brings cash directly to a lessor (or seller, etc.);
(2) a lessee makes a payment via a bank deposit transfer from lessee's bank account to lessor's bank account;
(3) a lessee makes a contract with a lessor via a bank to automatically transfer a certain amount of money from lessee's bank account to lessor's bank account; and
(4) a lessee sends a check to a lessor by mail.
In a country such as Japan, the method described in (3) above is most popular for an item owned by a large real estate company, for instance. However, the methods described in (1) and (2) above are also common for a payment for a relatively small item owned by a small company or an individual.
In the method described in (2) above, a lessee needs to go to a bank and carry out transactions using a terminal device provided by the bank to make a payment via a bank deposit transfer. In the same manner, a lessor needs to go to a bank and confirm the payment from the lessee using a terminal device provided by the bank. The payment from the lessee may be recorded in a passbook savings account. Also, if the payment is not made by the due date, the lessor needs to send a reminder to the lessee or call the lessee to request the payment. Moreover, when the expiry date of the terms of the contract approaches, the lessor needs to confirm the lessee's intention to renew the contract by using such means as the telephone.
In the above mentioned conventional method, however, the lessee must spend his/her valuable time to go to the bank or to the lessor's location to make a payment. Likewise, the lessor needs to spend his/her valuable time to go to the bank to confirm the payment or, in the method described in (4) above, the lessor is required to go to the bank to cash or deposit the received check. Also, procedures for sending reminders to the lessee or confirming the renewal of the contract are troublesome and a large burden for the lessor.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for managing a payment in which it is possible to make a payment or confirm a payment without the necessity for a lessor or a lessee to go to a bank.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method and a system for managing a payment in which a lessor does not need to send a reminder or a confirmation to a lessee to request an overdue payment or to confirm the lessee's intention to renew a contract.